The United Arab Emirates has cut funding for its citizens to study at British universities over concerns about Islamic radicalisation on campuses as the Muslim Brotherhood continues to be unproscribed in the UK. The Financial Times has the story.

The United Arab Emirates has restricted funding for its citizens who want to study at British universities, the latest sign of tensions over the UK’s decision not to proscribe the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group.

Abu Dhabi’s decision to exclude UK institutions from a list of universities eligible for state scholarships comes as relations between the two historic allies have frayed in recent years.

In June, the UAE Higher Education Ministry published a list of global universities for which scholarships would be approved and qualifications certified, as part of reforms that limited funding to the best-performing institutions.

The list included universities in countries including the US, Australia, Israel and France, but not the UK, which is home to many of the world’s top academic institutions.

The exclusion of British universities is linked to anxiety in the UAE over what it sees as the risk of Islamist radicalisation on UK campuses, according to three people familiar with the matter.

When UK officials queried the absence of British institutions on the June list, UAE officials said the omission had not been an “oversight”, according to a person with direct knowledge of the discussions.

“[The UAE] don’t want their kids to be radicalised on campus,” the person added.

In response, UK officials underscored the importance of academic freedom, the person said.

Read More: UAE Cuts Funding for Citizens to Study in UK Over Concerns About Islamic Radicalisation on Campuses